When your enemies threaten you with nuclear weapons — believe them and do something about it before it is too late.

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Thursday, April 02, 2026 - 11:25 pm: Edit

If Iran can almost hit Diego Garcia, they can strike almost anywhere in Europe.

It doesn't even have to be a working nuclear weapon, A conventional explosive packed with radioactive materail will also be bad for wherever it hit.

By Dana Madsen (Madman) on Thursday, April 02, 2026 - 11:42 pm: Edit

Jessica/Steve - on price of gold diverging from Oil. I don't disagree with Jessica's points, but additionally I've also seen a number of financial site articles saying that 2nd or 3rd world country govs/central banks have been major gold buyers over the last 3 years. Ever since the West froze Russian financial assets in Western banks, smaller countries have diversified their hard assets into gold stored in their country. Anyways, the suggestion is that some of these countries are selling some of their gold positions (which are up in value) raising cash to subsidize oil purchases for their citizens.

Ted, who is going to "win" is still up in the air. Iran wins by not losing, by having their regime remain in power, by maintaining some vestige of control over Hormuz even if they negotiate an opening. Deaths of hundreds of their leadership ranks or thousands or tens of thousands of IRGC troops, navy ships, military assets is really irrelevant to that. If your a religious fanatic and your fellow fanatics remain in control, then they may not want to die, but the regime lives on.

The US/Israel have done a lot of damage to Iran, but if anything right now, I personally think the regime is in a stronger position within their country then they were 2 months ago. 2 months ago people were rising up, and the government was at risk of being overthrown, maybe it wasn't going to happen, but they were in trouble, a majority of the people of Iran blamed the regime for their many problems. Now, the people who were in the middle, on the fence, they hate the US/Israel, they support the regime. I'm pretty sure the majority of Iranians now blame the US/Israel for everything going wrong. It doesn't matter that it came from the regime putting them in that position, it's US planes bombing them.

So the question is who is going to give up and quit first. While the US is moving in troops that could launch short term incursions or raids, there seems to be no indication they are mobilizing any sort of force that could launch a major ground invasion. Pres. Trump keeps going everywhere on his statements: the US has won and we can leave, the rest of the world can open the straits up, the US will bomb Iran into the stone age if they don't stop, etc, I could list all the statements from last night or tweets from the last 4 weeks, many of them contradicting the previous truth.

Is the US going to quit and leave Iran in defacto control of the strait. Then the Iranians will likely allow it to be opened but after the rest of the world negotiates with them giving the regime prestige and money, and by the way, they'll still have their uranium. Or is the US going to see it through until the regime runs out of any credible threat remaining to the gulf and collapses. What will the oil price be at that time? How long will the oil price stay elevated. Or is the US going to destroy the Iranian economy and Iran will respond by doing all the damage they can to the neighboring gulf states oil infrastructure, refineries and ports, potentially causing severe damage to the world economy for years to come.

I'll repeat again from past statements. I'm not cheering for Iran, I would cheer the failure of their regime and whoever brings it down. I'll repeat, I just don't know if this was the best way to end the regime, I am not convinced that this was the only option and a nuclear armed Iran was imminent or going to happen before they collapsed on their own. A lot of things have been going wrong for Iran for the last 3 years. This was an attempt to knock them out and I fear we're going to find it will have reinvigorated them.

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Friday, April 03, 2026 - 01:49 am: Edit

Svc, I don't know what the Iranians are saying nor would I know if they lied.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, April 03, 2026 - 04:41 am: Edit

Carl, Fortunately I do know and was here to tell you. Maybe you need to read more and post less? When you post that anti-US drivel, you just prove that you don’t know what you are talking about, and that you are just posting false things in an effort to convince people who already know a lot more than you do. The only thing you convince me of is that you are posting false information for dishonest reasons.o

You are simply wrong when you say Iran could not produce nuclear weapons. Actually, THEY STILL CAN TODAY. Stopping the war before we remove that uranium would leave Europe within range of Iranian nuclear missiles.

You are simply wrong when you say that the US stopping the attacks would reopen the Straits.

That has been proven in this topic since you posted your false claims. People wonder if you are just ignorant or deliberately dishonest. Keep talking and people may figure out which.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Friday, April 03, 2026 - 08:32 am: Edit

As reported by numerous outlets (Reuters, NY Times, Military Times, Stars and Stripes, Breaking Defense, etc.):

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Gen. Randy George, the Army’s chief of staff, on Thursday, a move that reflects growing hostility between Mr. Hegseth and the Army’s leadership, military officials said.

General George, who was appointed to his position in 2023, led the Army out of one of its worst recruiting crises in history in 2024 and more recently has pushed the service to accelerate its acquisition of cheap drones and other kinds of weapons that have come to dominate the war in Ukraine.

The tension with Mr. Hegseth was not rooted in substantive differences over the direction of the Army, military officials said. Rather it is the product of Mr. Hegseth’s long-running grievances with the Army, battles over personnel and his troubled relationship with Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll, the officials said.

Over the last year, General George and Mr. Driscoll had formed a tight partnership, officials said.

In addition to removing General George, Mr. Hegseth also fired Gen. David M. Hodne, who was promoted in October to lead the Army’s Transformation and Training Command, a key four-star position focused on Army modernization and doctrine.

Mr. Hegseth also fired Maj. Gen. William Green Jr., the Army’s top chaplain, an official said.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Friday, April 03, 2026 - 10:31 am: Edit

A race is currently on in Iran, as both U.S. and Iranian forces try to locate and secure the pilots of a U.S. fighter (preliminarily reported as an F-15E) that was shot down over central Iran today.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, April 03, 2026 - 10:54 am: Edit

They got one? Israel also lost a fighter over Iran, a month ago. Even a broken clock…

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Friday, April 03, 2026 - 11:57 am: Edit

"they can strike almost anywhere in Europe"

Well except for that pesky base in Deveselu...

Google "Aegis Ashore Romania"

I worked there a year to stand it up to FMC. II actually ran the crane work to load the first missiles!

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Friday, April 03, 2026 - 02:34 pm: Edit

Update on the downed fighter: U.S. teams have rescued one of the pilots. No word yet on the other.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Friday, April 03, 2026 - 03:43 pm: Edit

Per Reuters:

A second U.S. Air Force combat plane crashed in the Persian Gulf region on Friday and its only pilot was then rescued, per two U.S. officials.

Per another source, the second plane was an A-10.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Friday, April 03, 2026 - 05:25 pm: Edit

My sources said the first one was a F15E... "2 pilots" to those that don't understand what the crew in the rear seat does.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Friday, April 03, 2026 - 05:48 pm: Edit

Same people that claim anything that floats with a flag on it is a “Battleship”.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Friday, April 03, 2026 - 06:08 pm: Edit

It's the WSO position, but "two pilots" is easier shorthand.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, April 03, 2026 - 06:14 pm: Edit

Jeff, don't forget that anything with tracks and a gun is a "tank".

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Friday, April 03, 2026 - 08:02 pm: Edit

Good point.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Friday, April 03, 2026 - 09:38 pm: Edit

And while we're at it, that anything with a curved external magazine is an "AK-47" or "AR-15".

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Friday, April 03, 2026 - 10:25 pm: Edit

That include my NERF Rival Challenger MXXIV-1200 Blaster?

It has a 12 round curved magazine (nerf darts, actually), but projectiles nonetheless!

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Friday, April 03, 2026 - 11:01 pm: Edit

Most certainly. And certainly don't ask about the tripod mounted, belt fed one.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Saturday, April 04, 2026 - 12:12 am: Edit

Oh, thats on my wish list!

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Saturday, April 04, 2026 - 01:19 am: Edit

Mine to.

I'll get those neighbor kids.

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Saturday, April 04, 2026 - 02:42 am: Edit

That's one way to get those pesky kids off your lawn!

--Mike

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Saturday, April 04, 2026 - 08:49 am: Edit

Wonder if it'd work against the folks across the street who blast bad '80s rock in their weekly open-garage party until 02:00. (Why yes, I may be somewhat sleep-deprived right now, as I am nearly every Saturday morning because of this.)

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Saturday, April 04, 2026 - 10:14 am: Edit

Garden hose with good water pressure works too!

The only caveat being, on really hot days it turns into a kid attractor!

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Saturday, April 04, 2026 - 01:26 pm: Edit

Garden hose with good water pressure works too!

The only caveat being, on really hot days it turns into a kid attractor!